When It All Comes Down, We Fight Back
by Watergirl7742
Summary: This is the journey of a teenaged leopard demon, Akela Potter, married to Harry Potter and mother of six leopard demon children. Conspiracies are revealed as she struggles to find her father. Pretty please with a cherry on top: RAAAAAAAAATE!
1. The Graves of Siblings

I said my good-byes at my sister's grave, hoping that God would help her soul find peace. The man who raped Elizabeth would feel my wrath as soon as I found him. Next to the freshly-dug crypt lay my brother's decaying body in a coffin underground. Ben had died of cancer after my father had fled to Europe, never to be seen again. Now, it was just me, Akela Potter, my mother, my husband, Harry Potter, and my six children: Larry, Mary, Yuiren, Chuei, Carrie, and Toklata.

I may have all these people, plus my friends and their families, and my demonic powers, but I had lost so much in four years. Little did I know that something much worse was to come.


	2. Home Transfer

I may only be in seventh grade, but I've learned and done a lot of things. I learned that I was a leopard demon when I was seven years old, and I would show it off by showing others my ears, tail, and transformation abilities. At the start of sixth grade, I met three other demons: Shahara (wolf demon), Sofy (horse demon), and Neko-Gal (all-cat demon). Almost a month afterwards, I met Harry Potter when performing a play for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. We married six weeks later. (Crazy, I know, but we did.) Nine months later, we had six leopard demon kids: Larry, Mary, Yuiren, Cheui, Carrie, and Toklata. This was possible because Harry had already become a leopard Animagus, skilled at wizardry and wandless magic.

However, all this happiness and sorrow would soon be replaced with anger and betrayal. My mother received a letter from an infamous man named Jerry Perry. He was known for sending wild children to places where they could be domesticated. When she showed it to me, I flat-out refused to perform whatever test he had planned. But I didn't know that my own mother would soon betray me.

She forged my signature and sent in the form. When she told me I'd be in the same session as Shahara, my heart eased for a fraction, but was refilled with the anger I felt towards my mother. Just in case I was sent away, I would have to sneak in Harry and my children somehow.

The day of the session, my mother piled me into the car with my suitcase. Harry was in the trunk, willingly, and lent the Invisibility Cloak to the kids so they could hide under it. We finally stopped outside the University of Memphis. When my mom popped open the trunk, Harry snuck out with his Firebolt and quickly got the kids out of the car.

Stepping inside the building was the worst experience I'd ever had. My fate depended on being invisible and keeping my cool with Shahara and Inu-Yasha, her mate.

Surprisingly, there were over two dozen kids there. Apparently, they had willingly agreed or their parents had forged their signatures, too. Either way, they were all there.

Inu-Yasha, however, had not signed up. He was just there to accompany Shahara, should the worst happen.

"Potter, Akela," a voice called out.

My heart filled with fear. My name was the first to be called. They hadn't even given me instructions!

And there was Jerry Perry. His face was handsome, but I didn't fall in love. I could never love that heartless son of a bitch. About three yards away was a large woman. Her head gestured to her shoulder, telling me to climb on. I did so.

"Attack me," Perry said.

I smiled to myself, happy that this test was so easy.

But wait. There's a catch…"

Suddenly, my hands were tied, and I was attached to a rope on a conveyer belt on the ceiling.

Shahara, Inu-Yasha, and surprisingly, Sofy and Neko-Gal, jumped from the pile of spectators. Inu-Yasha drew the Tetsusaiga , and the others transformed into their demonic figures.

"No!" I cried. "What will be will be."

Nonetheless, they didn't shift from their present forms, but sat down and kept their eyes on either me or Jerry Perry.

"Now, you may attack."

I focused on transforming my head only, but still grow talons. I attacked him thrice from the front, having no effect. Then, while he was unaware, I struck from behind and knocked his head into the table. The paramedics arrived in two seconds and nursed his head. Then, he took a tissue. I transformed my head back secretly. When I turned towards him, he had my cheeks clenched in his tissue-covered hand. Viciously, I bit the tissue and tore off a huge proportion, spitting out with distaste, turning to snap at his hand. He winced and flinched, then retired to a secret room. I stared restlessly at everyone. Three seconds later, Perry came out again with a stretcher and looked me dead in the eye.

That gaze pierced me like five thousand arrows. It was as if he could decipher my every thought in an instant. I felt unsafe and in the nude. I turned my face away, but I heard a cold, heartless voice, yet somehow familiar, in my head.

_Get on the stretcher. I'll take you to a land where you can find a calm side and allow it to dominate your fierce personality._

As though I had no will of my own, I did as I was told. Perry strapped me in. I didn't realize I had sealed my own doom until I was rolled out of the emergency exit.

"Do you consider yourself cold-hearted, young one?" Perry asked.

"How should_ I _know? Oh, and I'm turning 13 next month. Don't say things you don't understand."

"Have you ever compared yourself with Naraku?"

A cold fear struck my heart: he knew that I was only here to see if he was one of Naraku's followers. He _must_ know!

"Naraku is a cold-hearted son of a bitch, just like you, Perry. Except Naraku doesn't usually send other children to their death." I spat on him, not caring how much he reacted.

"You are both, bitch. You are warm-hearted because you want to protect others from our wraths. But you want to kill us both out of spite and hatred."

Suddenly, he stopped and unbuckled the straps that bound me to the stretcher.

Now, I may be a cat demon, but my father's _wolverine_ demon genes were dominated by my mother's genes. However, a tiny bit of those genes found their way into me. My father was Wolverine's brother: Wolverine as in the X-Man.

I jumped out of the stretcher, landed on hands and feet with Wolverine-like claws extended between each of my knuckles. I held these claws to Perry's throat.

"Go ahead. Kill me. Just know that I will be avenged."

Confused, I backed down. My claws retracted. Suddenly, hands grabbed me from behind violently swung me around.

There were almost ten thousand children staring back at me, eyeing my claws with fear. Quietly, my claws slipped back into my hands.

"Everyone, this is Rosemary. Make her feel comfortable, and accommodate her in any way possible."

My eyes widened in surprise. Did he just call me (shudder) _Rosemary_? How dare he take my wonderful demon name and turn it into a sissy, human girl's name? DAMN HIM! DAMN HIM TO HELL!

Three children came up to me without flinching: two boys and a girl.

One of the people holding me spoke, a deep, raspy male's voice.

"Rosemary," (I shuddered), "these are your bunkmates, Ashley, Will, and Corey," the guard said. "Show her the accommodations we have prepared for her."

I was guided by the nineteen-year old and four-year olds to where I was supposed to live for years to come.

High above, following the stretcher to which I was bound, my husband and children hovered, confirming that Perry wouldn't try anything sneaky. When the three children distinguished themselves from the crowd led me away, Harry threw his Invisibility Cloak over himself, the children, and the Firebolt, so as not to be seen. He followed me to a small, two-story hut.

_Are they saying that my wife who deserves much more than this is to live in a _hut_ the rest of this time? PATHETIC!_


	3. Arrivals and Plots

I stared at my new home in hatred and disgust.

"Rosemary, I'll—"Will began.

"OK, kid. First of all, I ain't Rosemary! The name's _Akela_! A—ke—la! Second, I didn't even want to do this. My mom forged my signature on that form! And—"

"SLOW DOWN!" Ashley cried. To my highly-trained eye, she had black hair and she was four years old. "The truth is Perry renames everyone he brings here. Heck, I was Rin before he named me Ashley."

My eyes widened. "_You're Rin_? Why'd you leave Sesshomaru?"

"I became able to handle myself. I knew, sooner or later, that our paths would separate. When they did, I was captured and sent here," Rin explained.

"I was Miroku before all this. We eventually defeated Naraku and my wind tunnel disappeared. That's why I couldn't defend myself," the nineteen-year-old said.

"_HELLO! YOU'RE A FRIGGIN MONK! WHY DIDN'T YOU USE YER FRIGGIN POWERS?_"

"Somehow, I lost them." Miroku heaved a sigh.

"So what's your story?" I turned to the last child. He looked familiar as well, but he was wearing a suit and tie with cut, red hair.

"I'm Shippo. They stole all my fox sorcery tools, and I can never stay shape-changed for too long. Grrrr."

"And you're Akela: Inu-Yasha's mate's friends and Harry Potter's wife. You're a mother of six leopard demon children," Rin said.

"Speaking of which," said a voice from the shadows, "where are my manners?"

A hand appeared out of nowhere and groped empty air—or so it seemed. A boy of fifteen with jet black hair, glasses, and bright green eyes appeared with six three-year-olds with long, skinny, spotted tails and round ears on the tops of their heads. "Allow me to introduce myself: I'm the husband in question, Harry Potter, and these are our children." He counted them off and named them. "Oh, Rin," he said to the girl, "I'm also a leopard Animagus."

"Sorry."

"But Shippo," he addressed the fox demon, "where's your tail?"

Shippo rubbed his ass with irritation. That was an apparent answer.

"They cut it off!" I cried.

Everyone stared at me like I was a slug or something.

"NO! I'm forced to tuck it into my shudder _underwear_!" He rubbed his ass again with longing.

I stroked my own ass.

"I'm a'goin' on strike," someone yelled outside.

Then a commotion was started outside. Yells deafened the insiders, with doubled pain for the demons. Finally Miroku managed to straggle out the door to see what was happening. Everyone watched from windows to make sure he wouldn't try to "flirt" with the teenage women.

People were circled around three people: one ten, another eighteen, and a third nineteen. Two were going on a row while the third was trying to separate them.

"If you go on strike you'll get caught, and we'll be blamed for not stopping you," yelled the ten-year-old on the right.

"That was Lyra Silvertongue before she was named Gabriella," Shippo said.

"We outnumber those so-called counselors fifteen to one!" yelled the eighteen-year-old on the left.

"That was Erutis before Perry got to her," Rin pointed out.

"What about Lord Krayon? Doesn't he love her?" I asked.

"They got into a fight and Lord Krayon moved to the south," Harry said.

"Why wasn't I told?" I asked.

"Don't you remember?" Harry asked tauntingly. "She's allergic to cats."

I scowled, staring at the commotion with unseeing eyes. But finally, I came back to the living. "Who's trying to shut 'em up?"

Whoever it was didn't know when to quit. He kept going back to the defense after being pushed to the ground. We finally discovered it was Miroku.

I gaped at him disgustedly, hoping he wasn't trying to…shudder He's still asking? _HENTAI ALERT, HENTAI ALERT_!

Finally I couldn't take it anymore. I jumped out the window and pushed my way through the crowd of spectators. When I found the heart of the dispute I conjured my adamantium claws and yelled, "ENOUGH OF THIS ALREADY!"

Miroku, Lyra, and Erutis, not to mention the entire crowd, all stared, some at my claws, the others at me in general.

"Akela, you're the last person I'd expect to see here," Erutis commented.

"Nice to see you, too, Erutis," I greeted her sarcastically.

"Who are you?" Lyra inquired suspiciously.

"My wife."

Harry had fought his way through the crowd and grabbed hold of my hand, careful of the adamantium claws. A gasp came from the horde as they realized who they were dealing with. To them this was Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, and all that jazz. They didn't know he had a love side…especially for a part mutant, part demon.

Lyra gasped and knelt at my husband's feet. "My Lord, Sir Potter."

Everyone around us attempted to stifle a laugh, failed, and burst out hysterically. Some doubled over, others reared their heads back, but mostly they collapsed to the ground and rolled over and over, unable to contain themselves.

Harry took out his wand. "_Silencio!_" Immediately, the laughter subsided and I, Harry, Lyra, Erutis, and Miroku could talk peacefully.

"Lyra and Erutis and both correct in their assumptions. But Erutis is less correct in this debate. Although we do outnumber them, to go on strike would be most unwise," Miroku explained. "We have no strategy, we are not organized."

"Forget strategy and all that shit. Let the sword girl talk," said a voice in the crowd.

We were all puzzled: hadn't Harry put a Silencing Charm on the laughing figures? Apparently, this speaker hadn't been present at the time the charm had been cast. We all turned to see Inu-Yasha. We were all too stunned to speak. Then, Shahara came from behind him.

"Shahara, you're stuck here, too?" I asked glumly.

"Yup, and I'm staying with you even if I have to sleep on the floor…"

"…Or in a tree," Inu-Yasha finished for her.

Shahara chuckled…no…more like laughed her butt off.

"Anyway, if it's bad enough for _Erutis_—"

"HEY!"

"—then it's bad enough for _anyone_, except for those incredibly retarded demons who _want_ to be human."

"Who the hell are you?" Lyra snarled.

Inu-Yasha drew the Tetsusaiga.

"Does this ring a bell? Or do I have to refresh your memory?" he snarled right back.

I put my hand on his shoulder.

"Calm down. She's a friend: she's just frightened of being here."

"Feh." He shook me off but sheathed the demonic blade anyway.

"However, I'm afraid I'll have to agree with Inu-Yasha the Violent on this one. I admit, I've only been here," I checked my watch, "forty-five minutes, and I _hate_ it."

"Same here," Shahara concurred.

"So let's get plotting," Miroku agreed.

"I just have one question: how the hell did you, Rin, Shippo, and Erutis get here?" Inu-Yasha yelled with forceful inquiry.


	4. Rebellion and a Sneak

After Shahara and Inu-Yasha came to town, things started looking a lot brighter. They, Neko-Gal, and Sofy were a lot craftier than I; and my husband and children were much better at laying traps than I, so I just contented myself with doing what they told me.

Finally, after three weeks of preparation, we were ready to carry out our plan. I would use a golem to create a duplicate of Harry and Inu-Yasha and "turn them in". While I did so, the _real_ Harry and Inu-Yasha, under the Invisibility Cloak, would distract the guards somehow cough, cough and Harry would slip them some Veritaserum and question them. That way, they could find out what Jerry Perry was really up to. Little did we know that one obstacle could destroy all the work we've done.

Miroku heard of a boy who shared a hut with Lyra and Erutis, going by the name of Bradley Cain. He was one of those "retarded demons" Inu-Yasha was talking about. He'd been here for six years, not caring enough to go back to his real home. Some people even said he was one of Jerry Perry's major spies.

Well, you can imagine what I said to that: "Screw him. He's nothing but a waste of space." My claws came out. "I'll take care of this little dick."

Inu-Yasha, after scavenging in his yukata (Shahara gladly helped) for all the golems he took Naraku's hair off of, was glad to lend us two, plus one strand of his hair. Also, I plucked a hair off of Harry's head (much to his annoyance), tied it around one, and Inu-Yasha's hair around the other. Finally, the next day, we were ready to begin. Or, so we thought….

Since I tied the hairs around the golems, they had been monitoring their originals' behaviors and character traits. So, when I went to "turn them in", they would react as close as possible to Inu-Yasha and Harry after dinner, when everyone would go back to their cabins.

That fateful day, after dinner, Inu-Yasha and Harry stayed under the cloak, under the table, while I continuously slipped food under to them. The golems were waiting on the roof, waiting for the signal: "This night is as beautiful as any I can remember".

Finally, after dinner, Shahara, Rin, Miroku, Shippo, Lyra, Erutis, and I walked out into the night. I gave the signal.

There was no sound.

I gave the signal again, and nothing happened.

Not willing to take the silence any longer, I skimmed up the wall to see what was keeping them. All I found were some wood shards, a silver hair, and a black hair. Someone had found us out; or me at least. For when I turned, a cloth came over my face, and the world went black.


	5. Interrogation and the Prayer Beads

When I awoke, I was on the floor of a moving terrain. However, what startled me the most was the fact that pure black eyes were boring into mine. I started and attempted to jump up, but I found my hands and feet to be in bolted chains. With all my strength, I pulled on the left one, to see if it would come loose. All I got in return was a broken left wrist.

"It's hopeless to attempt an escape. Those chains are made of the strongest metal." The eyes belonged to a teenage boy with brown hair and blonde highlights. It seemed unnatural for those eyes to belong to him.

"What do you want, you son of a bitch?" I snarled.

For a second, he looked outraged. Then, a smirk crossed his lips, and he put his pointer and middle finger to his left temple in deep concentration.

In seconds, deep scars appeared on my arms, face and legs. (As if Nakago the Seiryu warrior hadn't given me enough already.)

"What I want, in answer to your question, to pass judgment and serve justice. You defied the contract."

"What damn contract? I never signed a contract."

More scars appeared.

"Watch your language, bitch."

I growled at the word "bitch". Then I smirked. "You know, I'm not a female dog: I'm a female cat demon. Now, what is this contract you speak of?" I then growled fiercely, letting him know that if these chains came loose for one second, I would rip him apart. Then, forgetting for a second, I looked around. My attention was drawn to a lump on the floor: it was a black wolf.

"Ah, I see you've noticed my second guest. He has refused to speak his name, but I will find out soon enough. Now, the contract: apparently, you sent it in shortly after you arrived here."

Instantly, I thought of my mother, who had betrayed me once already. Could she have done it again?

"Hmm. I thought you were a blabbermouth: obviously not that much. Ah well."

A/N: … means talking to someone with your mind.

(to Akela only.) It's me, Nakago. He put chlorophorm on me too. 

He put chlorophorm on me! Oooh, is he gonna _pay! _

More scars appeared.

"I wouldn't try mind talk, if I were you. I can read anyone's thoughts, even those adapted to one person's knowledge only. So, the wolf is Nakago. I've heard of him. The two of you used to hang out with some friends in the Black Forest. Yes, I put chlorophorm in your system, but it was for the greater good."

"Whose (gasp) greater good?" Nakago snarled. He attempted to sit up on his haunches and succeeded.

"Everyone's."

And then, the boy did something I'll never forget: he came forward and kissed me on the lips.

I thought '_YOU JERK, t akin' advantage of me when I'm chained up. I swear, if I ever get a chance, I'm gonna rip you limb from limb.'_

Finally, he let go. I made a move to wipe my hand across my mouth but remembered that I was chained to the floor.

"Who the hell do you think you are? I'm married!"

The boy's eyes widened. "How can you be hitched? You're only 12!"

"Don't forget," I warned him, "I _am _a demon."

That's when I carried out the plan I had been forming in my mind. I began to transform. My nose lengthened; my sense of smell became sharper; my body stretched; my arms and legs shortened; my hearing became keener, my eyesight more intelligent. The chains fell loose from my feet. Instantly, I was reminded of my cousin, Sabor, whose feet were trapped in a pulley system twenty years before he was killed. How angry he must have been once free! Well now, I felt that anger.

I sprang into action, circling my opponent. He made no move to stop me. When I finally leapt up at him, chains appeared from the ceiling to keep me suspended in midair by my ankles.

"That's much better."

I growled ferociously at him, once again warning him that I meant business.

"Now, paragraph 17, section 47, clause 11 of the contract you sent in states that anyone attempting a revolt against Naraku's Domestica—"

"Wait a minute, wait, wait, wait! You're saying this is Naraku's idea?" Nakago stuttered.

The boy was silent.

"Don't you know who I am _yet_? You were told about me and you said, 'Screw him. I can take care of this little dick.' Remember now?"

Recalling this memory, my adamanitum claws came out between my leopard talons.

"Yes: I am Bradley Cain, and yes, this is Naraku's Domestication Camp. And my lord told me to kill anyone who discovered so."

I remained silent.

"But I think my feelings for you are pretty apparent, so I'll do this instead…."

He drew from his inner jacket a necklace with beads and a few fangs. Surprisingly, he froze my head, placed them around me, and then unfroze my head.

I looked down at my neck.

"DOWN!"

The chains broke from the ceiling and I fell to the floor.

I transformed and landed back on my feet and hands just in time. Now, when I transform, my clothes are torn to pieces unless I take them off beforehand. So, when I looked up, Cain's and Nakago's eyes widened and they looked away. Cain gave me his jacket to cover myself. When I took it, I noticed a demonic aura about it, which smelled similar, yet I couldn't quite place it.

"Why me?" I asked.

Cain turned and looked at me. Those piercing, soulless eyes reminded me of right before Perry tricked me into leaving.

"Why is that you chose me, a half demon, half mutant, out of all these pure demons, to fall in love with?" I pursued.

Silence fell for a moment.

"Tales from the Black Forest travel far. Do you recall the Seiryu warrior, Nakago, who so often attempted to kill you? You are probably the only person in history to survive that. Almost, you were by Naraku some time after that while he was posing as Lord Voldemort. Yet, you lived. You involve the most interesting people in your adventures. These, and many other things, encourage how I adore you."

"But how do you here of these things?" I inquired.

"That is beside the point, but I have my sources. Think of the exceptions, thus far, that I have made for you and your friends. I'm disobeying protocol, but I don't care. I normally would've killed you on the roof, along with your friends. You should be grateful."

"Why? We are attempting to make the world a safer place. Naraku is one of the obstructions in that. Why do you work for a son of a bitch who wants to slaughter children?"

"Now, you ask more than I can answer. I will drop you and Nakago off at the next stop. Do not attempt a violation such as this again. Otherwise, I fear I may be unable to help you. This is your final warning."

The moving terrain stilled. The door of the compartment opened, and Nakago and I were violently hoisted out. When I stood and turned, the others were standing there, all staring. Shahara covered Inu-Yasha and Miroku's eyes while Harry covered Larry, Cheui, and Toklata's eyes and Erutis covered Shippo's eyes. Someone threw a bundle of clothes at me and said, "Girl, we know you had to go through Cain, but _please_ get some clothes on beside that jacket!"


	6. A Mother Missed

Since the train ride, I couldn't get Cain's words out of my head: "I normally would have killed you on the roof…You should be grateful."

I hadn't told anyone what had happened on the train, especially not Harry. He would've been infuriated, seeking revenge for Cain kissing me.

However, I couldn't deny the fact that he'd put prayer beads around my neck. Inu-Yasha was the first to notice.

"Now I know how you feel when Kagome and Shahara tell you to sit," I said. The thing about prayer beads is that only people who put them on you and people close to you can activate the spell, so Inu-Yasha didn't go down.

"What word does he use on you?" he asked.

"Do—D-O-W-N," I spelled.

Immediately, Inu-Yasha tried it. Nothing happened.

"I thought at least _you _would know it wouldn't work. That's just pitiful."

Inu-Yasha growled but did nothing.

My kids noticed it, too, but they, unlike Inu-Yasha, wouldn't badger me about it.

Now all I had to worry about was treating the new scars Cain had given. The camp nurse came to treat the wounds with a stinging liquid.

However, the broken wrist was beyond repair. I could conjure the adamantium claws and move, she did it up so well, but I couldn't walk on it when I transformed.

Nakago was pretty beat up. Across his muzzle, he had three scars. Also, he was pretty much skin and bones from lack of food. He didn't want anything specially prepared, though. He wanted to "carefully maintain his demonic attributes" and eat whatever we caught raw. For a while, I thought he was being selfish and stubborn. But then, I realized he hated and feared this place as much as I, Rin, Shippo, or anyone else did. So I went easy on him. Finally, he was healed and free to roam about on his own. No matter how silly he looked when leaping for joy, he reminded me of how I once was, before my family fell apart. And it was comforting to have a slight memoir of my previous life. So I continued to observe him, wishing that none of this had ever happened.

Five days after the train ride, Sofy and Neko-Gal arrived, and there was much rejoicing. Miroku rejoiced by taking each of their hands in turn and asking his famous, perverted question; in seconds, he was in the nurse's office with a black eye and broken fingers.

Harry conjured some doe meat and prepared a feast. In minutes, it was completely devoured with a few demons (mainly me, Inu-Yasha, and Shahara) claimed the bones.

We partied all night, until we were blue in the face and fainted from exhaustion. That was near three o' clock in the morning, and we slept way late until five-thirty in the evening, waking up just in time for dinner. As if doe meat wasn't enough, they were serving steak with A1 sauce. In a demon's eyes, it was fit for a king.

In the dead of night, I attempted to call Wolverine and my father. Dad left his cell in America, so I attempted to call a hotel where he once stayed for a business trip in Italy: no sign of him. When I called Wolverine, Charles Xavier answered, saying Wolverine was traveling to Tennessee to talk to my mother. I asked him if there was a number I could reach him at. Xavier recommended my home phone.

Instantly, a cold hatred struck my heart. I didn't favor calling home, in case my mom answered. Since she betrayed me once, maybe twice already, I doubted whether I could trust her anymore.

"Akela, your mother loves you very, very much. She just doesn't want to lose you, too. Give her another chance. I'm sure she'll come around. Go ahead: call."

At that, the telepathic professor hung up the phone, leaving me to stand there, stupefied that he had read my mind from the Northeastern states.

It was almost three days after I had made the phone calls, and a growing suspicion continued to gnaw at me. What if Charles was right? But then, what if he was wrong? Those questions I kept pondering in my head.

Finally, I made up my mind. I went to a pay phone and dialed my home number. It rang four times before someone answered. And it wasn't my mother.

"Hello?" a deep voice inquired.

"Hey, is Wolverine there?" I asked. "It's Akela."

An awkward silence followed, as if the speaker was trying to hide something.

"Is it Wolverine?" I asked.

"Yep. Akela, I don't know how else to put this, but yer mother's dead."

More silence.

"She committed suicide: hung herself from the kitchen ceiling. I'm so sorry," he said.

"Don't be. I only called to talk to you. I wanted to avoid _her_ as long as possible," I retorted.

More silence, but this one was tense and angry.

"I think that's a poor way to treat the woman who gave birth to you, don't you think?" he snarled.

"How so? First, she forges my signature, so I end up in this dump. Then, she sends in a contract that forbids me to hate this place. I think that's pretty hate-worthy."

_Click_! Probably the only living relative of mine hung up, leaving me in the blues.


	7. A Daughter's Search for Answers

My husband embraced me on the bed, knowing that my mother had committed suicide. To tell you the truth, even after all she did to me, I became remorseful. How could she have hung herself? If my dad was alive, and if he ever came back, he'd probably be paying for a funeral service. I doubt I'd be able to go, even if there _was_ a funeral service. I'd probably only get flowers and cards.

During that time, I still thought about Cain. In fact, he visited in secret, in the dead of night, almost a week later. He put a hand over my mouth and put a finger to his lips when I awoke. He motioned for me to come outside. Before doing so, I arranged some pillows in my exact shape. I slinked outside and faced Cain with my arms crossed.

"What?"

"I heard about your mother. I'm so sorry. Truly, I am."

"Cain, there's something I wanna know."

Immediately, his eyes brightened, if you could believe _that_.

"You said this was Naraku's Domestication Camp?"

He nodded.

"Well, a friend," I paused, "an acquaintance of mine was cursed, and he couldn't be freed unless Naraku was dead. Now the curse is lifted. So how can this be his camp?"

A long pause followed this.

"You _really_ want to know?"

I glared at him: that was such a stupid question he should've known better than to ask.

"Well, I and Jerry Perry are some of Naraku's offspring. Even though he is dead, he can control us from hell, with permission from the devil, himself."

I was stunned, but not because Cain had suddenly flinched with either pain or fear. It was because Naraku could control him, even though he was dead and in hell.

So that explained everything.

"Akela?" said a voice from the door. It was Shahara.

I narrowed my eyes. "This isn't what it seems. You're not to tell anyone about this, not Inu-Yasha, not even my Harry. Definitely not Harry."

Cain snorted. Obviously, he thought I was still too young to be hitched.

I turned on him. "Cain, we _will_ talk." I went inside and got in bed, ignoring the pillows.

In the morning, though, I did tell everyone I'd gotten wind of Naraku's controlling of Cain and Perry from hell, in league with Satan himself. And let me tell ya, they were just as stunned as I was. Miroku looked like he could do with a memory charm. Harry clenched his fists into fists, sparks flying from them unnoticed and uncontrolled. Shahara was pacing in wolf form.

All the kids and Shippo and Rin were playing outside, so they couldn't hear. We could hear their screams of delight through the open window.

"What do we do now? Should we call Wolverine again?" Inu-Yasha asked.

"We don't know where he is," Harry mumbled.

"Buffy?" Shahara inquired.

"Sunnydale was destroyed, so she could be anywhere," I said.

"So who should we tell?" Miroku asked.

I suddenly had an idea. "Dad."

Everyone stared. They had never heard me talk about my father since I told them he was missing.

"Someone should go looking for him. Someone who's not enrolled in the camp, otherwise we'll be the ones searched for."

"Akela," Harry put his arms around my shoulders, "we don't know where he is, much less if he's---"

"I KNOW! I don't care. Someone still has to look for him. I'll not rest till I know more about his whereabouts."

In the end, Nakago volunteered for the search. He said, "'I am in your debt.'" I guess this was because I persuaded Cain to let him go. Either way, someone was looking for my father. Nakago left about three days after the decision was made. He didn't run a lot because he needed to save his energy for the journey. Before he sped off, he swore to me he would find my father, even if, when he was found, he was dead. Too embarrassed to hug him, I transformed and the sides of our heads touched, showing my gratitude for what he was doing. Then, he turned tail and began his long journey to Europe. I watched as he ran through the camp gates, doing something I would never be allowed to do as long as I was there.

Occasionally I would use telepathy to ask Nakago questions like Where are you? ; Be careful ; or Any luck? . He always responded with Don't know ; OK ; I know ; or Not yet . Finally he contacted me saying, Fer God's sake, stop talking to me, I'm still on the ferry to Europe. Give me some friggin time! Yeesh! Then he cut me off completely. Instantly I wondered why he would take the ferry instead of a plane. sigh

One year passed, and I still had heard nothing from Nakago about the journey or my father. I had turned fourteen, my children (born on the same day, yet not sextuplets) four, and my husband sixteen. In fact, everyone had aged by one year.

Then I got the idea of asking Wolverine. I mean, they he was my father's brother, right? So they should have some sort of bond. I contacted.

Where's Dad? I know you have a brotherhood bond? Where's his chi? 

There was silence following this demand. My uncle was acting as though he knew this moment would come and would answer truthfully when it did.

Your father forbade me years ago to answer this question if someone was 'just curious'. But he did have an exception, as all people do: if the last of his blood line was desperate for a guardian, then I was to give you the number to call him at. So here it is: 1-508-636-4242. 

Thanks, Wolverine. I'll call now. 

I rushed out to the pay phone and dialed the appropriate number. It rang five times before a recorded message asked for a voice mail.

"Hey, Dad, Wolverine gave me the number. Mom committed suicide, big sis was raped, and lil' bro died of cancer. I'm the last of your blood line, and Mom sent me to Naraku's Domestication Camp two years before she died. I'm desperate for a _real_ guardian and to get out of this god-forsaken hell hole."

At that, I replaced the phone to the receiver and returned to the hut. I wasn't really expecting a reply, but that's what I got almost a week later.

I was about to dig in to some doe meat I had just caught when Lyra called me through the window. Looking gluttoningly at lunch, I stomped to the window to speak to Lyra…well, more like bellow at the top of my lungs.

"WHAT COULD BE SO IMPORTANT THAT IT INTERRUPTS MY LUNCH: MY _LUNCH_ FER CRYIN' OUT LOUD?"

"Well, you got a call at the office. They said it's your father," she responded calmly.

An awkward silence followed.

"Good friggin' answer," I said, climbed through the window to the roof, and skimmed the rooftops to the office, jumped down, and grabbed the nearest phone before anyone could say, "What in the seven hells?"

"Hello? Dad?"

At first, there was a silence. Then…

"Hello Akela. I got yer message, and I'm ready to take you home, along with Shahara, Inu-Yasha, Harry and family, and anyone else you want to bring along."

All of a sudden, my heart filled with a loathing I'd never felt before. I scowled and snarled into the receiver.

"Why'd you leave? Everyone suffered after you left, and now I'm stuck in this of all fire traps."

"Wolverines are part of the weasel or mongoose family, and your mother didn't like my attitude, so one of us had to leave, we decided. I was the less dedicated parent, even though I loved you, Elizabeth, and Ben very much."

More silence.

"Why didn't you contact us _at all_?"

"I didn't want to cause you more pain, just by talking to you. But this conversation is beside the point. Pack your bags, and I'm going to come pick you up ASAP."

CLICK!

I didn't even bother to hang up the phone as I sprinted outside and sprang to the roof to brood the previously-ended conversation.


	8. A Plot Devised

"Darling, are you prepared to abandon this hellhole?"

I had returned to the hut, packed my things, and been confronted by my husband. He chanced a glance at my luggage, so I confessed to him everything my father and I had traded on the phone.

"Of course. All I care about is your happiness. If you are ready, I am ready," he responded.

At that moment, some unexpected visitors banged in on us just as we kissed: it was the Weasley twins, Ron, Hermione, and…

My mouth dropped open as I recognized the horrible, platinum blonde teenager holding Hermione's hand.

"Malfoy? What the hell are you doing here? I thought your 'pure blood' was too good for Muggle-borns and half-bloods," I snarled.

"Akela calm down. They've been dating for quite a while," Harry assured me.

"Again, why wasn't I told?" I retorted.

"We knew you'd get pissed and try to break them up, but that's not why we came," Fred said.

"I do have my uses, Potter. You see, while Hermione and I were watching something called a 'movie', we heard your name through the window."

"Fortunately, we were spying on our two lovers," Ron said (Hermione and Draco glared), "with some Extendable Ears, so we heard everything they did. We heard a deep voice saying 'Soon, master, the Potters will be yours. All that is needed is the girl's father.' But there's a problem."

"That man was Lucius Malfoy," Fred said. "He must still serve You-Know-Who."

"FER GOD'S SAKE, JUST SAY VOLDEMORT! HE'S BACK, SO YOU MIGHT AS WELL ACCEPT IT!"

The words were out of me before I could prevent them. Ashamed, I hid my face. Not only had I shouted to close friends (and Draco), but I realized that I had been conned. It had been Malfoy Sr. on that phone or my actual father being tortured to do so.

"Sorry."

"That's OK. We know how hard it must be to hear this," George reassured her.

"I need some time to think. If you'll excuse…"

I stalked to my room to undress and transform. Afterwards, I ran out the door to the forest that skimmed the perimeter of the camp. I scampered up a tree to get to the highest branch I could find. I watched the sun make progress across the sky over the next few hours.

It wasn't until almost midnight that I felt a familiar presence by my side.

_A/N: All conversations in foreign languages will be in English_.

"Hey, honey, d'you wanna talk?" Harry asked

My head dropped, along with my whiskers. Of course I didn't want to talk! Leopard demons are the best counterintelligence animals in the world, and I couldn't see through the simplest trick! I put the rest of my kind to shame.

"No one would have seen this coming, not even Shahara. You have nothing to be ashamed of."

Still, I made no move that I had heard him.

Suddenly, a rustle in the bushed below made me start. I crouched, ready to spring upon the stalker. Another rustle; I cast off and landed on a furry, human-like creature.

-- It was a monkey.

I bared my fangs, ready to rip this omnivore apart. What happened next caught me by surprise: its shape became furless, taller, freckly, and red-haired. It was Ron.

Out of anger, my claws sank into his back. Ron yelped in pain and pushed me off. Harry leapt from the tree and transformed.

"What is it, Ron?" he asked.

"Your 'father-in-law', or whoever he is, is here," Ron explained. "Are you personally going to go to him, or are you going to send a messenger?"

I tensed. Either my father worked for the Dark Lord or he was being tortured into this dilemma.

Suddenly, an idea came to my mind. I ran back to the hut, dressed, and confronted Inu-Yasha.

"Inu-Yasha, can I borrow something?"


	9. Kidnapped

The next day I walked down the path to the entrance and exit to the camp with my entire luggage. Waiting there was a tall, black-haired man with laid-back ears and a black tail. His fangs showed in a smile he threw at me. It was my father.

I walked up to him and held out my palm where it was facing his chest. He did likewise. When our fingers lined up, both our sets of adamantium claws protruded from between our knuckles. It was our special greeting.

"Dad," I muttered.

"Akela," he whispered back.

Instantly I could tell it wasn't his voice. As far as I can tell, it was the exact opposite of my father's warm, welcoming voice.

"I've come for you, my little jungle flower."

"Well, I'm here. Let's go home."

"What about Harry and the others?" he questioned.

"They decided to join us in a few days."

Looking slightly disbelieving, he put his arm around my shoulders and escorted me through the gates.

From the blackberry bushes and the treetops two people observed our departure. A third was observing the security cameras with a desiring look in his eyes.

Once outside the demonic territory Dad slipped a knapsack from his pocket.

"Put your belongings in here. This bag reduces the size and weight of its burden by half."

I did as I was told. Since my entire luggage together weighed ninety-two pounds, it now measured forty-six pounds. To him this was nothing. I had personally seen him carry little over three hundred pounds.

Simultaneously we transformed and ran off. Not knowing where Dad currently lived, I kept close on his tail so I wouldn't get lost.

Now the spies from the bushes and trees followed our progress.

Three days later we arrived at a mansion in the village of Hogsmeade. Surprisingly Dad lived next door to Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop.

"We're very good friends," Dad explained at my surprised look.

The two of us walked in, and I instantly noted the extravagant gleam of the sun peering through the stained glass window, casting the fabulous reflection on the white marble floor. Even the tinkling of a bell could be echoed through the hallways.

"Welcome home," my father declared.

After a week, I noticed only one irregular act in my father's behavior. I knew his bedroom to be at the end of the second floor corridor. However, as I descended the banister every morning I spotted his ascending from the basement with a cold sweat running down his face. I made no move to show that I had noticed his strange appearance. However, one evening, I decided to find out was down there. Late that evening, around midnight, I crept out of my room and stole downstairs. There was the door, lonely-looking and forlorn. I extended my taloned hand and gripped the doorknob, turning and pushing as I did so.

What I was confronted with so far wasn't unusual. A set of rickety steps led under the foundations of the mansion. Carefully I tiptoed down them, taking precautions so they wouldn't creak. It was when I reached the landing that I was caught off my guard.

A large portal was menacingly spitting red sparks. Temptation and curiosity tugged at me, and I stepped through.

On the other side was a wide stretch of grass with a cabin and a large house. When I looked at waist height, gravestones clouded my vision. One instantly snatched my attention: Tom Riddle.

I was at the Riddle property.

Suddenly, a scream rent the air, quickly stifled. Then, to my left, an incantation, was cast before I could react.

"STUPEFY!"

I was blasted off my feet and landed against a tombstone, knocked unconscious immediately.


	10. Attack and Rescue

When I awoke, I found myself looking upon a familiar sight. A circle of cloaked, hooded figures had their heads lifted so as to see me. A hissing sound emitted at my feet. Looking down I saw a diamond-patterned snake circling the gravestone to which I was tied. I closed my eyes and focused on transforming. Surprisingly nothing happened, only an excruciating headache.

"You have been given a potion to stop the change. You are mine, now," a cold voice issued from behind me.

Using my peripheral vision, I saw the speaker: Lord I'm-such-a-loser-I-killed-your-parents-in-law Voldemort.

"You, his greatest desire, will bring him to me."

"Son of a bitch."

Enraged, he whipped out his wand, pointed it at me, and muttered, "_Crucio_!"

A tinkling pain flashed through my body, but I didn't even flinch. Apparently, the Dark Lord noticed this, for I could tell he was suspicious.

"Maybe this will affect you: _Avada Kedavra_!"

In a flash of green light everything went black.

Voldie stood there cackling. The Death Eaters around him guffawed stupidly. However, a few seconds later, everyone noticed something. Where Harry's wife's limp body should have been there were wood shards and a single hair.

"I HAVE BEEN TRICKED!" Voldemort screeched.

"That you have, _Voldie_," said a voice from the direction of the portal.

All heads turned, and what they saw was astonishing.

There was Harry Potter, the main target in this whole plot. And there, right next to him, was the girl they had just "killed".

"HOW DID YOU DO THIS?" a Death Eater yelled.

"What you just annihilated was a mirror image of my wife: a golem. That is why the Cruciatus Curse wasn't effective," my husband explained.

"You see, I made my plan when a few reliable resources recognized Lucius Malfoy's voice saying, 'Soon, Master, the Potters will be yours'. Need I go on?" I sniggered.

Voldemort was outraged, but we didn't care.

Privately, Harry was telling our army to take their positions and wait for the signal.

"You see, Voldie, toying with family matters is extremely unwise, especially when it comes to a family of demons. What you still cease to understand is that when it all comes down, we fight back."

From the sky and portal, a horde of demons and wizards, including Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Kirara, rampaged for the attack.

The battle raged for hours. Kirara gorged herself on several of the Death Eaters. At several points in time, Voldemort called more of them with the Dark Mark. But we waited for them with open arms, claws, you name it.

During the rage of the battle, I slipped away and headed toward the Riddle house: I had to know who had screamed.

I stole across the lawn, creaked open the door, crept up the stairs, padded down the corridor, and burst through the door.

There lay Will Vandom, the Guardian that united Irma, Taranee, Cornelia, and Hay Lin, making the group called W.i.t.c.h. Apparently, Voldemort wanted her power as well because she was deprived of the Heart of Candracar. Suddenly, she stirred and woke.

Seeing my ears, talons, tail, and strange eyes, she screamed and backed away.

Surprised, I jumped up and my adamantium claws came out and sank into the ceiling. Unfortunately, this only frightened her more, and she screamed louder.

I detached myself from the ceiling and retracted my claws. I sank to my knees, made a fist with one hand, and placed my palm on my knuckles. "I will not harm you. I came here to kill Voldemort. He murdered my parents-in-law."

Will must have seen this as a sign of peace because she moved closer. "Who and what are you?"

"I'm a leopard demon, and my name is Akela Potter. I don't know whether or not I'm an orphan, but I doubt I'm not."

We have to go now. The others are in separate rooms," Will warned.

Together we set off and searched the house. Irma and Cornelia, unfortunately, were in the same master bedroom, and they'd made a mess of things, to put it lightly.

Hay Lin was in a cellar, lying among a few barrels of wine.

Taranee was in a fire-proof, locked cage. One of my claws on adamantium was able to unlock it.

Everyone, of course, was suspicious. They didn't entirely trust me, not knowing my real purpose. However Taranee threw me a searching look and smiled. The others stared disbelievingly at her, and I, being a demon, could read their thoughts.

_She means us no harm,_ Will was saying.

_I know. Her heart is clouded but pure,_ Taranee said.

_How do we know she's not hiding something?_ Cornelia demanded.

_She rescued us, Corny. What kind of person, uh, _demon_, would she be if she didn't?_ Irma argued.

_One like any other_, Cornelia pointed out.

_I can hear this entire conversation, just so's you know_, I intercepted.

They all started, surprised that I had heard them.

"Sorry," Hay Lin murmured. "If we offended you, we're sorry."

"Don't worry, I get it all the time," I assured her.

Suddenly I noticed Irma was leaning on one leg and not the other. She was bleeding through her jeans, and I could distinguish three scars. I approached her, knelt, and placed my hand on the wound, finding traces of the adamantium in my claws.

I looked up at her. "I did this, but it was an accident, I swear to God."

"How though?" she asked.

"My claws came out. They were covered with blood that I could wasn't mine.

"Oh."

Instantly, something fragile broke downstairs.

"We have to move. It's dangerous to stay in one place too long."


	11. A Curse Lifted and a Father Found

When we left the Riddle house it was to find a pool of blood circling the doorstep. All five Guardians flinched in disgust, but I transformed, motioning to my shoulder, telling them telepathically to get on. They slipped easily on my back, despite how unnerved they were.

Roaring, I ran through the blood river, not caring how much it splattered on my legs. Halting at the battle, the girls slid off my back, but I kept form, launching into the attack. Sango and Kirara, a kick-ass team, were Boomerang Boning and slashing. Surprisingly, Inu-Yasha had turned into his truly demonic form, and Shahara and Kagome were ensuring he didn't kill anyone fighting the good fight. Miroku, as he was no longer a monk and without his wind tunnel, was sword fighting, and very well, I might add. I took off, searching for the glow of the Heart of Candracar.

Not surprisingly, I found the gleam in one of the hidden pockets of Dark Lord's robe. I leapt at him, knocking his wand from his hand. Unfortunately, he began to use the Heart's power against me. No matter how vainly the Heart struggled, it never left Voldemort's grip. A shot of pink magic hit me in the chest, and I roared in pain, hearing Will gasp behind me. I turned to her and told her, in English, to shout the important words.

"GUARDIANS, UNITE! WATER, FIRE, EARTH, AIR!"

A glob of pink, blue, orange, green, and silver magic burst from the magical orb and transformed the girls to their alternate, more beautiful, mature-looking, powerful selves.

Instantly, they leaped into action. Taranee flew at the Death Eaters' wands; Hay Lin swept them off their feet with a blast of air; Cornelia created a chasm in the earth for the enemies to land in, which Irma afterwards filled with water, and Hay Lin froze, leaving the evil-doers up to their necks in ice. Finally, the Heart of Candracar slipped from Voldemort's sweaty hand and into Will's palm.

"Heart of Candracar, remove the Dark Mark from these men's arms; purify their souls to break free of Lord Voldemort's evil spirit," she cried.

A flash of pink light emitted from the Heart, aimed down in the pit made by the earth expert. For a few moments, everything and everyone was still, awaiting the outcome of this spell. When the light subsided, the prisoners turned their heads—to their greatest extent—with confused expressions on their faces.

"Where am I? A minute ago I was at the Department of Magical Games and Sports!" said one.

"And I was making dinner for my family," said a female.

"Kirara, melt the ice," Sango ordered.

Kirara cast herself into the pit and knock her head against the ice. Taranee helped by conjuring a fireball and lunged it at the ice that didn't manage to break. The remaining frost melted instantly.

Kirara gave the witches and wizards a good sniff, then a ride out. Then everyone turned to Voldemort. He eyed us all with shock and a hint of fear. We all advanced and pounced; giving Will time to do her thing.

"Heart of Candracar, purify his heart and lift the burden of darkness from his shoulders."

Voldemort cackled, apparently amused at Will's petty spell

"You cannot change me that easily. We will meet again, though, and it won't be so easy. Das vidana dicks and bitches." He Apparated on the spot.

"That _bastard_!" Inu-Yasha yelled. He was still in full-demon form.

"SIT!" Kagome and Shahara yelled simultaneously. Inu-Yasha went down and became a half demon again.

"W.i.t.c.h., there's just one more thing I need you to do," I said, and we all walked through the portal.

"I need the Heart to identify this man."

We had come out the other end of the portal, stole up the staircase, and entered my "father's" room.

As Shahara, Inu-Yasha, Kagome, Miroku, Shippo, Harry, Sango, and Kirara (in her smaller form) watched, Will pulled out the Heart of Candracar.

"Heart of Candracar, reveal this man's true form, so we may all see him."

For a moment, a blinding flash of pink light filled the entire room; soon, it subsided, but the man on the bed had not changed.

"He must have been possessed by a Death Eater," Harry inferred.

"Lemme check," I said, and pulled up the man's left sleeve: the Dark Mark lay imprinted on his arm, but it was fading faster every second, until it finally disappeared from view.

Suddenly my father sprang from the bed, his claws coming out and sinking into the ceiling; I smiled, feeling Will's and Irma's eyes on my back. A lot of him was in me: just how much I hadn't realized until that moment.

"Dad," I said, "it's your younger daughter. Akela, remember? You're free from Voldemort."

"Akela. Akela? AKELA!" he exclaimed, detaching himself from the ceiling and embracing me.

At last, a gap in my heart and soul was refilled, and my life was healed. My father and I were reunited, and my friends would be leaving the dead Naraku's clutches. I could tell, of course, that the future would be a rocky, murky road: for everyone.

But at that moment, I didn't care. I was embracing my father for the first time in years. Only one part of the past was I reflecting, the words I had said to Voldemort: "What you still cease to understand is that when it all comes down, we fight back, we fight back."

_When it all comes down…_

_…we fight back._


End file.
